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Native residents are indispensable participants in developing and conserving the natural environment. Specifying the factors that lead to responsible behavior among the local people can help increase sustainability. This paper aims to investigate the pro-environmental behavior among the local residents of the Kashmir region defined by the components of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value Belief Norm (VBN) Theory. To analyze the data, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) has been used as research methods. The results reveal that the three components of TPB (general environmental attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control) have a positive and significant impact on the pro-environmental behavior of residents. Moreover, the findings also demonstrate that the factors of VBN (altruistic, egoistic and biospheric values) significantly influence the general environmental attitude which in turn impacts the pro-environmental behavior of local residents. The paper seeks to contribute to the existing literature by adding local community insights based on the explanations given by socio-psychological theories within the context of natural environment. The study will help policymakers to understand better the residents' intentions and pro-environmental behavior so that they can develop strategies to manage and combat the environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism plays an important role in encouraging cooperation and peace between the partitioned countries. The current study aims to investigate the influence of cross-border tourism on bilateral trade and cooperation between India and Myanmar. Further, the paper identifies the role of community support as a mediator between exogenous and endogenous variables. An onsite questionnaire is distributed among the residents of Indian border areas close to the neighboring border of Myanmar. The SEM is employed to reject the null hypotheses and test the proposed model empirically. The findings reveal that all the proposed hypotheses are supported. The cross-border cooperation is positively influenced by cross-border tourism development and trade between India and Myanmar. Moreover, community support mediates the relationship between cross-border tourism, bilateral trade, and cooperation. An important consideration from this paper is that tourism supported by border communities can act as a catalyst for promoting cooperation among hostile countries. India and Myanmar being close neighbors, have huge scope to support each other through different cross-border programs, projects, and bilateral trade. The study provides valuable insights for both countries to adopt tourism initiatives as a tool to ameliorate their relationships and develop the economic conditions of border communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration is the primary demographic process that defines human settlement patterns and has a significant impact on human evolution. Migrants often seek better economic opportunities, higher levels of education, the chance to reunite with loved ones, or a safer environment. Given the paucity of literature, this study concentrates on the pattern of migration and the factors that influence district-level internal migration. And also, examines the relationship between socioeconomic indicators and inter-migration rate in Srinagar, J&K, India. Secondary data from the census of India, digest of statistics, government reports, and research publications was utilized to investigate the migration trend. To investigate the relationship between the socioeconomic variables and the international migration rate, a linear regression analysis was performed. Pursuant to the regression findings, male migrants dominate urban-to-urban migration while female migrants dominate urban-to-rural areas. Employment is the primary motivation for male migrants, whereas marriage is the primary motivation for female migrants. This study supported the view that factors such as literacy and employment have a close bearing on migration flow, whereas population growth shows a negative relationship with migration. The analysis of patterns would be valuable for formulating new policies, providing economic opportunities near the place of residence, and base for urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article aims to analyse the effectiveness of the conversion of the Siachen Glacier into a peace park on India–Pakistan relations. It further investigates how the peace park can build mutual understanding leading to cooperation and peace between the two countries. The article presents the conceptual framework for adequate supervision of the Siachen Glacier jointly by India and Pakistan to mitigate the existing tensions and conflicts through tourism within the context of the tourism–peace nexus and peace park concept. The Siachen Peace Park proposition offers an amazing way out for the policymakers to diffuse tensions between the military establishments of India and Pakistan. Both the nations have been losing the lives of their soldiers among the snow-capped peaks not due to any gunfight but mainly because of climatic extremities and frostbite. The suggestion of the Siachen Peace Park has been explicated with the help of a four-stage peace park conversion model conceived by the authors, which gives a conceptual understanding of the outcomes of this Peace Park for both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article aims to analyse the impact of pilgrim tourism on bilateral relations and to identify the mediating effect of people-to-people contact. It further proposes to test the framework empirically in the neighbouring context of India and Nepal. To achieve the objective, random sampling is used, and 380 usable questionnaires are taken for testing the theoretical framework. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is used to assess the framework's fit and analyse the impact of pilgrim tourism on bilateral diplomatic relations while using people-to-people contact as a mediating variable. The study findings reveal that pilgrim tourism has a direct impact on improving the bilateral diplomatic relationship between India and Nepal. It also shows that people-to-people contact between India and Nepal acts as a mediating variable between pilgrim tourism and bilateral diplomacy. In a vast country like India, which shares a border with many nations, pilgrim tourism and people-to-people contact have great potential to remove barriers and increase bilateral treaties for better development of the nation. The present research developed a measurement instrument about bilateral relations from the stakeholder's perspective. It also proposed a structural model to elucidate the relationships between pilgrim tourism, people-to-people contact and bilateral diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ladakh is a famous tourist destination in India. The number of tourists visited in 1974 was 527 which increased to 327,366 in 2018. However, tourism potential has largely remained untapped due to the lack of proper dissemination of information. Nowadays, the GIS-based Tourist Information System has gained great importance among tourists, as it allows familiarizing with places and at the same time exerting profound appeal for trip planning. The purpose of the present study was to develop an interactive GIS-based Tourist Information System for Leh Ladakh. To compile database, topo-sheets and satellite imageries including CARTO-SAT, LISS-IV, and ASTER DEM was used. Besides, GPS and field surveys were conducted to generate vector data layers, viz., hotels, guesthouses, road networks, airports, parks, golf courses, water bodies, fuel stations, health amenities, banks, and ATMs. Moreover, multimedia data like video clips, audio narrations, and photographs were integrated with each feature as attribute data, to make it particularly informative for tourists and other stakeholders. The proposed GIS-based Tourist Information System is a one-time investment and can be uploaded on the internet as well as updated when needed via database updating. It is expected to bring tourists from across the world via virtual travel experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]